New Delhi: The BJP on Wednesday described as
"shocking" the controversy over former Union Minister A Raja
allegedly trying to influence a Madras High Court judge in a
criminal case and wanted former Chief Justice of India K G
Balakrishnan to explain his stand on the issue.

"It is shocking. Only the ex-CJI can explain his stand.
We will react only after he issues some kind of a statement,"
BJP spokesperson Prakash Javdekar told reporters when asked
about the controversy.

In an unusual step, sitting Supreme Court judge H L
Gokhale contradicted Balakrishnan`s claim that the letter
sent to him relating to the issue did not mention Raja`s name.

Gokhale, who was the Madras High Court Chief Justice when
he had written to Balakrishnan, issued a statement to set the
record straight after the former CJI had claimed last week
that the minister`s name was not mentioned in the
communication.

He said in the statement that in his letter to
Balakrishnan last year he had clearly referred to the name of
Raja, who was accused of using a lawyer-friend to convey a
message that Justice Reghupati should grant bail to an accused
in a CBI case.

The former CJI said he would soon come out with a
statement setting forth his stand.